Raymond J. Trautman

I took his class only because there was no one else teaching Chem 215 at that time. I basically had to teach myself the class by reading the book. Going to his lectures confused not just me but practically the whole class. He is very long winded and he never gets to the point. He rarely answers your questions with a straight answer so you are left never knowing what he exactly expects from you. The average points of our exams were about 110 out of 200. The low scores were a reflection of his teaching or rather lack of teaching. The class average was so low that he had to give an extra credit assignment so that the students could redeem themselves. SFSU does a disservice to its students by allowing him to continue to teach.

Ray Trautman is a teacher who is genuinely fascinated with his subject material. He utilized computer graphics to demonstrate 3-D structure and electron probability regions of molecules. This was stimulating for visual learners. His class is challanging and covers alot of ground for 1 semester. But after all, it is a 5 unit class, and why are we in school if not to be challanged?

Teacher is not very effective in explaining new concepts and taking students through detailed equations. Usually, very little explanation is offered at all. He is difficult to understand - poor communication style. Not succinct nor clear.

The review below is fairly accurate. Be prepared to learn on your own. There is no babysitting in Dr. Trautman's class. Of the enormous amount of material presented in the original syllabus, only a fraction was covered in class. As such, there was considerable confusion as to what material the students were expected to know. The lectures were moderately stimulating. His exams are extremely challenging, with a significant percentage of written problems and few easy questions. However, he gives ample opportunity to earn additional points with quizzes and homework assignments. Out of a class of less than 100, about 10 received A's. Dr. Trautman is always in his office and he is personable and extremely knowlegeable. His explanations can be unnecessarily elaborate. The lab was an unqualifed disaster. Vague, contradictory, poorly designed experiments as well as a significant amount of material unrelated to lecture. The TAs were at least as confused as the students. It is a fairly new course so it will probably improve over time.

I did expected a challenge in this class, but it was beyond my imaginations. You ARE ON YOUR OWN WITH THE MATERIAL PRESENTED in this class. Lectures covers only a fraction of material presented on the exams which are 50/50 multiple choice and problems. Nevertheless, you are expected to know everything according to syllabus. Labs do not match material covered in the lectures... It's like taking another chemistry... One might succeed in this class by putting a LOT of extra time studying. Good luck! If I could, I would take Chem115 with another instructor...

Imagine yourself awaiting a stimulating instruction from this professor- what is noticeable is his lisping problem. This is forgiveable if not for the uncoordinating pattern of his lecture. My other gripe is his body odor. My god, at least take a shower before going to class! Personality wise, he is nice and patient. Much better than that bald and puny professor incharge of lecture whose passion is to constantly denigrate his students. I think SFSU needs to completely revamp the group teaching this class.

Ha, ha, ha. The guy who gave Dr. Trautman the D+ should just quit school now. What a JOKE! If this guy had a problem with Dr. Trautman, he would have had a problem with anyone. (Especially Plachy) PLEASE disregard his ludicrous review. Chem 113 is not easy, but its not impossible, and Dr. Trautman is a fine teacher.

I agree that Dr. Trautman communicates well. This is a critical talent for a lecturer to possess; sadly, many don't. Regarding CHEM113, my impression was that his lectures conveyed both the major concepts as well as the "nuts-and- blots" calculations involved. Yes, his exams ARE challenging. However, this held me to a higher (but realistically attainable) standard, which has served as a repeatedly tested solid base upon which I have continued my study of chemistry. The concepts that are introduced to us in General Chemistry keep coming back, perhaps in more "sophisticated" forms, in the upper-level courses. Certainly, Dr. Trautman anticipates this, and he never underestimates the significance of these concepts in his teaching. In my opinion, if you take your education seriously, you would do well to take any class taught by this professor. You WON'T be baby-sat, but you WILL get out what you put into it.

To anyone that likes a teacher that can communicate, ray is a good professor to take. Unfortunately, there is a bad side to this. Ray really expects alot. . .and sometimes a little too much. Last semester, when there was the option of taking tse and trautman. . .I chose trautman just because i didnt want to manipulate my schedule. Big mistake. I can say that he is a good teacher. . . but what he expects you to know is an insurmountable amount of knowledge that should be taught in like 3 semesters. His tests are killers. ' If you can. . take placky or tse. avoid trautman. The fact that the class WILL not be full at the beginning of the semester should be a clue not to take him.